Advance file photoBrooklyn Councilman Domenic Recchia's parents moved to New Dorp about 10 years ago and his sister has been here for decades.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Democrat John Liu says that he will continue to serve as city comptroller despite the allegations of illegal fund-raising swirling around him.

But Staten Island could find itself front and center if Liu does vacate the comptroller’s office and it triggers a special election.

Brooklyn Democratic City Councilman Domenic Recchia, well known to Islanders, has been eyeing the slot.

“Domenic Recchia would look at Staten Island as a place where he could get lots of votes,” said City Councilman Jimmy Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn), a longtime Recchia colleague. “Staten Island to a guy like Recchia is vital.”

Recchia had looked to run for Congress here a few years ago, and he represents areas in Brooklyn similar to the Island.

Recchia’s parents moved to New Dorp about 10 years ago (his father has since passed away), and his sister has been here for decades. Other relatives are also Islanders.

Recchia, chair of the Finance Committee, endeared himself to Island bigwigs when he helped secure $250,000 for the Island’s “big four” cultural institutions. Before that, he was visible here as chairman of the Cultural Affairs Committee.

Oddo said that Recchia’s Italian-American heritage and moderate Democratic stances would appeal to Island voters.

“Staten Island is a big place for him,” Oddo said.

Recchia told us that if there is a special election and he decides to run, “Staten Island will play a big role.”

“I’ve done a lot of work on Staten Island,” he said. “I’ve worked closely with elected officials on both sides of the aisle. I relate well to the people of Staten Island.”

As for Liu, Recchia said, “He needs to look inside his heart and decide what’s best. I’m not looking to push anyone out of office.”

But however a vacancy may occur, Recchia said, “There’s no better person than myself to be comptroller.”

And having Recchia as comptroller would be a good thing for Oddo and the Island should Oddo become borough president in 2013, especially if another Oddo ally, Democratic Council Speaker Christine Quinn, is elected mayor.

GOP EYES GILLIBRAND

Borough GOP chairman Bob Scamardella heads to the state Republican convention in Rochester next week, where a candidate will be nominated to run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

While making no endorsement, Scamardella said that one candidate has caught his eye: Wendy Long, a judicial activist from Manhattan.

Scamardella said he met Ms. Long in his West Brighton office recently.

“I found her to be quite dynamic and inspiring,” he said. “She has the makings of a formidable candidate.”

Ms. Long’s prime competition for the nomination appears to be Nassau County Comptroller George Marangos.

FAREWELL TO SNOWE

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) said that the retirement of U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) marks “a great loss for the people of Maine and the country as a whole.”

Ms. Snowe, known as a moderate Republican and key swing voter, announced last week that she will not seek another term in the Senate.

It is thought that her departure will widen the partisan gulf in Washington.

In addition to hailing her legislative work, Ms. Malliotakis said that Ms. Snowe, whose family members immigrated here from Greece, had also been an ethnic role model.

“Sen. Snowe is a shining example of the power and potential of the Greek community, and she continues to be a fantastic role model for young women everywhere,” she said.

As a fellow Greek-American GOP lawmaker, Ms. Malliotakis said she has always “personally admired and looked up to Sen. Snowe.”

“I have drawn much inspiration from her 33 years in the Senate,” she said.

MOURNING BREITBART

Island Tea Party members are mourning the passing of conservative media publisher and activist Andrew Breitbart.

The pugnacious Breitbart died last week.

Tea Party co-organizer Lorraine Scanni said Breitbart’s death was “a great loss for the Tea Party.”

“No one showed the courage he did,” Ms. Scanni said. “No one put his life into the movement more than he did. No one fought harder than him to expose corruption and hypocrisy. I just hope that those who disparaged his tactics realize what was lost.”

Breitbart led Internet investigations that led to the resignations of former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner and former Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod.

He was an influential Web presence through his news aggregator Breitbart.com and was an in-your-face user of Twitter and other social media platforms.

Breitbart began his career with the fledgling Drudge Report, and later helped launch the Huffington Post, but he parted company with founder Arianna Huffington when the site swung to the left.

“Not only will he be missed — he may well be irreplaceable,” said the Tea Party’s Frank Santarpia, who met Breitbart. “He was a giant of the conservative movement, a true Tea Party icon who had boundless energy and fought for his beliefs with the conviction of a convert and always with a great sense of humor. He feared nothing and no one.”

While lionized by the right, Breitbart was infamous for taking the podium before Weiner’s final press conference.

And he was slammed for posting an edited video that appeared to show Ms. Sherrod making racist comments, leading to her resignation. Critics said the unedited video showed Ms. Sherrod’s remarks were taken out of context. She later sued.